BLOG.PJ-NETWORKS.COM: Look out for antivirus scams!

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Look out for antivirus scams!

Well, they're back, again - those fake antivirus applications that pop up on your computer screen and tell you that your system is heavily infected with all kinds of viruses and spyware. Well, I can't really say that "they're back", because they never really went away, but there have recently been a number of variations of this type of spyware working their way back through the Internet.

While this particular type of spyware scam will not necessarily render your computer unusable, the annoying pop-up screens will keeping coming back again and again, no matter which buttons you click. Ultimately, they keep urging you to click on a link to remove the viruses, which takes you to a web site that claims that for $39 to $69 you can download software that will clean your system for you. The problem, it's a scam. The software that you pay for and download is just more spyware, and even if it stops the original warnings from popping up, your system is not clean and even worse, the new software is probably blocking your original antivirus program (assuming you have one) from working at all.

So how can you prevent all of this from happening in the first place? First and foremeost, make sure that you have a current version of your antivirus software as well as the most recent virus definitions. For example if you are running Norton Antivirus 2007 with current virus definitions, that is NOT the same as running Norton Antivirus 2010 with current definitions. The virus scanning engine on the newer version is much more sophisticated when it comes to identifying and removing viruses and spyware. The good news is that if you have a current subscription for antivirus definitions with most antivirus software packages, then you should be able to go to their web site and download the latest version of the software for free. PJ Networks recommends Norton Antivirus and Norton 360 protection above the others, but TrendMicro, Kapersky and AVG are also pretty good products. If you currently have no antivirus at all, you can go to www.avgfree.com and download a free version of their software that will do a pretty good job. It's certainly better than having no protection at all!

What do you do if you've already been scammed? If it has been within the past 90 days, and you used a good credit card to pay, then you should be able to call your credit card company and tell them that you want to initiate a chargeback on the transaction, and tell them that your computer guy told you that you have been scammed. Not only should that eventually get your money back for you, but if the spammers get enough chargebacks against them, their credit card processor will revoke their ability to process any more credit cards! Also, keep a sharp eye out for the next few months to make sure that no other suspicious charges show up on your credit card bill.

The next thing that you should do is see if you can update your real antivirus program and then run a complete scan of your system. At this point it's probably too late for that to work, but you should at least try. If you still can't get rid of the spyware, then you should take your computer to a professional in order to get it properly cleaned of all spyware and viruses. We highly recommend PJ Networks, but if you don't use us, please take it somewhere to get it taken care of. Otherwise, your system will still be infected, and the result will be a minimum of losing performance on your system, and in a worst case scenario your personal data may be stolen and sent out to the Internet.

Let's be careful out there!

-PJ

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